Senator: Obama's Acting Like U.S. Is USSR

(CNSNews.com) - Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) said Wednesday that President Barack Obama is acting like the U.S. is the Soviet Union in ordering that all health-care plans must cover sterilizations and all FDA-approved contraceptives, including those that cause abortions, but that when those plans are provided by religious institutions that have a religious objection to those things the insurance company must offer them for free.

“The president has said he offered an accommodation," said Johann's in a speech on the Senate floor. "The accommodation is that: Whoa! Lo, and behold, this is going to be free. Now, I’d like to know what legal authority he relies upon that the president could ever order anyone to offer a service or an item free.

“He has no such authority," said Johanns. "This isn’t the Soviet Union. This is the United States of America. We don’t believe that for a moment. Of course, you are going to be paying for this through your insurance premiums. Well, my hope is that we will read our Constitution, and we will stand as a united front, upholding religious freedom which is being violated by this mandate,” the senator added.

Johanns was speaking in support of an amendment by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) that would have allowed any employer not to include coverage sterilizations, contraceptives and abortifacients in an insurance plan if it violated the employer's religious faith to do so.